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Central Ohio Third-Graders Could Be Held Back Next Year If They Don’t Meet Reading Standards

Central Ohio Third-Graders Could Be Held Back Next Year If They Don’t Meet Reading Standards

Published: 07/01/13 01:49 pm EDT.

Updated: 07/01/13 06:39 pm EDT.

COLUMBUS, Ohio

Nearly 30 percent of Columbus City Schools third-graders could have been held back this year if a new state law had gone into effect when it was supposed to.

Columbus City Schools officials, as well as those at other schools and community programs in central Ohio, are putting full intervention programs in place now to make sure that does not happen this upcoming school year, when the state law will be enforced.

“By the time you drop back to 390, you’re really in a range where you probably are not strong in grade three reading skills or expected reading skills,” said Pickerington Teaching and Learning academic advisor Sandy Meigel. “You’re probably reading independently at a level below a third-grade level.”

In Pickerington, a summer reading intervention program is designed to help catch students up.

“Up until third grade – kindergarten to third – they’re learning to read, but from third grade on, they’re reading to learn,” said Pickerington’s Meigel. “Reading skill is very important for success in all content areas, and that’s why it’s so critical at that third-grade point.”

Columbus City Schools has an intervention program, too.

According to a Columbus City Schools spokesman, the district’s kindergarten through third-grade summer intervention program is focused only on reading and writing. In the past, math instruction has been included in the curriculum.

The number of days for summer school has also been extended from 15 to 23.

The spokesman said that every day, students are engaged in reading and writing activities that include guided writing instruction and small group reading instruction.

A new effort slated for this fall will bring intervention to preschoolers. The program is a collaborative partnership with Learn for Life.

In 2014, those who don’t pass the third-grade reading proficiency test will be held back. Under the law, limited English speakers, special education students and students with individualized education plans are exempt from the law.

But even after removing those students from the pool, Columbus schools still would have had 776 third-graders with below-bar reading test scores.

Not all of those students will be held back, though.

If students are passing all other subjects on the test, they could be able to move forward to the fourth grade in those subjects. They still would be held back to a third-grade reading curriculum.

“The law is about the student being at the appropriate reading level for instruction,” Ross said. “Now, I can tell you, when I was superintendent at Reynoldsburg, (if) a student wasn’t able to read at a third-grade level, (he) would end up being in a third-fourth grade reading class.”

Ross said the law is not about punishment, it’s about the skills and knowledge they have.

“It’s about appropriateness in learning and trying to make sure there’s continuous progress on the part of the student, so they can control and have the skills and knowledge they need to be successful,” Ross said.